http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120614/NEWS02/706149933
Published June 14, 2012 in the Rutland Herald
Springfield water rates go up 13 percent
By SUSAN SMALLHEER
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD – Water rates are going up for the second year in a row, and town officials expect another increase next year.
The hefty increases are due to the more than $10.5 million in improvements that have been done to the town-owned water system since 2009.
The Springfield Select Board approved the $2,586,612 water and sewer budget on Monday night, which included a 13.77 percent increase in water rates, and a 2.6 percent decrease in sewage rates.
Town Manager Robert Forguites said water rates would be going up 42 cents, while the wastewater users would see a decrease of 15 cents on their rate.
The water rate is currently $3.05 per 100 cubic feet of water and will go up 42 cents.
The new rate increase means that water rates have almost doubled in the past two years, as the rate was $1.81 in 2010, before it jumped to $3.05 last year.
The wastewater rates have actually gone down slightly, from $5.58 in 2010 to $5.66 in 2011 and now $5.51 in 2012.
Forguites said the wastewater rate was declining because all the town’s taxpayers are paying for the storm separation projects, or CSO, while users pay for the water and wastewater systems.
“We properly allocated the loans – CSO, water and wastewater,” said Forguites, adding that the stormwater drainage system benefits the town as a whole.
Forguites said the increases were directly attributable to the water and combined sewer overflow work, and that some of the long-term bonding to cover the improvements still had to be finalized.
“There’s still some long term bonding over the next couple of years,” said Forguites.
The average Springfield home has a monthly water bill a little bit more than $50, said Jeff Mobus, the town’s comptroller, or about $600 a year.
The town bills people and businesses on the system bi-annually, and there are 2,200 users of the system, with most users receiving both water and sewer service.
The new rates go into effect July 1, with the first bills reflecting the new rates will go out in September.
The town still has about $7 million in debt that it is financing with short-term loans and Forguites said he was hopeful that state and federal grants would cover a good percentage of that amount.
Once federal and state monies come in, including American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds, the final increase due to the improvements will be added to the water bills.
Mobus said the town had submitted application for $4.5 million of the $7 million remaining, but he said the town was really in the dark how much it would receive in the end.
Hey thanks a lot Town of Springfield management. Last time the rates went up, my bill doubled (regardless of how you tried to spin it to make it look like a marginal increase). I guess I can expect the same next time too. Once again, you are going to push one of the very few taxpaying citizens out of Springfield. Good job!!! (Sarcasm meant)
ReplyDeleteDitto. This is just crazy. I would like to know what the the town is doing with all our tax dollars .....I haven't seen any paving or sidewalk repair! Grass has been growing over many sidewalks for years now. I have noticed two nice very decent houses that have just been sold in the past months being taken over by scum. Right off you notice that someone different is living there - porches junked up, lawns trashed, fowl speaking children and adults! I guess that's what the town officials are hoping for by increasing taxes and water and sewage bills and for this we receive/or do not recive very poor services by the town. Take a close look at the play area at Riverside School - it's a disgrace!
ReplyDeleteWater and sewer rates have nothing to do with paving and sidewalk repair, the water departments budget is separate from all other Town budgets. The reason the rates are going up is again in part to unfunded mandates by our state government to separate storm water from sewer drains. This money had to be bonded by the town and now the payments are due. For all you that think the state is handing out free money, think again
DeleteI went to the playrgound the other day with my kids and we won't go there ever again.
DeleteI'm pretty sure that Riverside doesn't have their own dedicated "playground". The kids use the Town's field.
DeleteI'm Pretty sure the 'playground' was a Ben & Jerry's project. And when their property tax abatement went away - so did they. Then these guys sell out to 'big corprate america' and complain about how their old company is run. There is no free money - only our money - the tax payer!!! Revolt!!!!
DeleteWell in fairness to B&J the town spends thousands every year for the parks and rec's baby which is those fields. They should be required to the small upkeep on that playground. Over a period of years I have seen the town parks suffer as one or two ego's improve their own priority which are the ball fields. It isn't just the ben and jerry park it is all the town parks are full of weeds and are at the very least in need of mulch and repairs. Parks and Rec is to blame for those and until you start looking at how and who runs your town departments quit complaining.
DeleteDidn't the town just agree to providing vast quantities of water to that biomass project?
ReplyDeleteThese two things have nothing to do with each other. The town agreeing to sell the water to the biomass plant will actually help reduce the water rates in coming years not make it go up.
DeleteYes they did, and if you really want the rates to go down you would support the bio-mass project because it will help your water rates go down. The rates are going up because they have dwindling water usage and fixed costs.
DeleteIf you believe that I have got a bridge to sell you.....Fellows bridge. It is amazing how an industry that will damage the environment, deplete our forests, destroy our drinking water, worse than burning coal, contaminate our air gets so many pumps here it appears the either the pumpsters are paid or they expect some sort of financial gain from the building of the Bio-Mess plant. Hopefully it won't be coming from all the public funds soon to be gobbled up in the building and running of that plant.
DeleteBelieve as you wish, but there is no evidence that the bio-mass will have any of the effects that you describe. What is very clear and was stated at the public informational hearing by a Town official that the impact of the bio-mass water sale would be to reduce rates since the current problem with the water rates is dwindling usage and over capacity.
DeleteSo all the studies that prove you wrong are all liars?
DeleteI am neither for nor against the bio-mass but understand that the bio-mass changed their entire design (I read it in the paper) and it will no longer be water cooled so the need for all the water is no longer an issue.
DeleteFurthermore, water is a renewable resource and is easily regained through the use of dams and waterfalls. I recall a certain young man who felt the same way, and you don't see him walking the tight rope any more do you? I rest my case, court is adjourned.
ReplyDeleteClearly you are confused as to what a waterfall is for. Like the waterfall of hippies and badgers which are holding up the building of the Biomass plant, that which will be a beacon of hope to all of the residents of this town and Bellows Falls as well (which is not a town, but I digress.)
DeleteHm, we seem to have someone else using the name Alpin Jack. You couldn't come up with your own pseudonym?
DeleteAm flattered that someone else has usurped my stage name, but its difficult enough trying to sort out all the anonymous' don't you think. Now we have multiple Alpin Jacks and Aethelred the Unreadys.
ReplyDeleteCan someone give me a number as to how much water/sewer savings we might expect from this proposed Biomass project? I would like to see some definitive numbers and not just more smoke and mirrors. For me, if the savings are not at least $300 or more a year, it's not worth it. With the doubling of the rates last time and the 13% increase coming soon, it would have to be a huge savings to link it as a positive to the proposed biomass project.
ReplyDeleteI think the new Soylent Green factory will be the next project that Springfield undertakes and it will lower rates on everything. You can bank on that(just not at One Credit Union).
DeleteThere is another increase yet to come still . Don't forget that.
DeleteThe reason for the rate increase is because there is a bond that has to be paid (in other terms a loan for those that dont understand bond) which was for the building of the new storage tank and the sewer improvements which occurred in the past few years which were mandated because Springfield did not keep up with them for 20 years as was required by the state. (seems everywhere in springfield has trouble following state regulations ie schools) Anyway, so the town did the crime of not bringing systems up to code so to speak and then were hit now with the increases to pay for those improvements.
I don't understand why everyone is so suprised. this was all revealed years ago in the newspaper when we were upgrading these systems. Blame yourselves for buying new equipment and firetrucks and new police cruisers and the like year after year after year instead of alloting funds to make improvements as we went along. This rate increase shouldnt be a suprise to anyone. THINK before you vote for people and spend some time researching their track record on voting on select board issues. Proactive is far better than reactive. It is your own faults...SORRY
Thank you for clearly explaining this...
DeleteRon Paul 2012!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how people assume that water bills shouldn't be necessary. The fact is, because we pay water bills, we don't die the way Wilbur Wright did-- from typhoid-- or tens of thousands of Londoners in the years before John Snow-- of cholera and dysentery. Why is there a divorce between having it good in life and having to pay for it to be that way?
ReplyDeleteI.guess a 20 year replacement for fire engines and a 10 year replacement for ambulances counts as a year after year purchase for some dough head that probably doesn't even know where the fire station is located.
ReplyDeleteFire station - The big building we keep our parade vehicles in!!!!
DeleteIsn't the water utility budget separate from the town budget? And if so, what does the replacement of fire engines and ambulances have to do with water rates?
DeleteAbsolutely nothing Alpin. Anonymous Your going to appreciate those parade vehicles when they are put to use.
DeleteJust another blowhard spouting off
DeleteI'm afraid those parade vehicles are useless when the dolts in charge don't know what they're doing - another foundation saved by the full time springfield fire department!!!!
DeleteMy only complaint about the water and sewer utility system is that the residents of the Town who live outside the village and are not served by the Town sewer got tapped for part of the sewer upgrade. That should have gone completely on the sewer rates. I believe about 50% got slapped on the non-using residents -- could be wrong, but I believe that was how it was explained. All these posts which indicate fire department expenditures, etc. have something to do with the water rates are completely bogus. The utilities are treated as separate entities and only certain expenditures are allowed to affect the rates. I can understand people being negative, but do not understand the Tea Party like rants that keep appearing which make no sense.
ReplyDeleteWhat they have to do with it are this. Do they have their own budget so to speak? Yes. However, on the bottom line it all works out to be a tax rate. It all adds up. So to say that the reckless spending that has happened over the past twenty years did not have an effect is wrong on its own. Had some restraint been taken in those other departments and the extra money have been added to the town for the mandated repairs then we wouldn't have had this problem. But dont talk out your butt and say one expenditure in one area didnt affect the other because it did. Overall, money is money and who cares what line and what budget it came from. You recklessly spent money keeping up with the Jones' instead of smartly cutting back and extending the use of equipment and putting the money back into upkeep and improvements.
DeleteCall it what you like I see it as asleep at the wheel and you robbed peter to pay paul in the end. Unfortunately Paul ended up being the taxpayers!
Aethelred, you really work hard to "read" smart on these post. You would think someone so smart would not only post their name, but address and phone number so folks can send flowers and gifts in their adoration of you. This is the first time I'm posting but have been reading your gibberish for sometime now.
DeleteHave you ever heard the phrase that all things are related? Well the way the town spends it's money on things "seen" are what folks are going to react to. They see the lot full of police cars, the collection of fire trucks and the empty school buildings. So when the unseen such as water issues pops up reaction is to everything.
I don't see this as a Tea Party issue as much as a taxpayer issue, I assume you are a taxpayer? To label negative rants to the Tea Party is unfair. Many on your favorite channel MSNBC rant negative all day long. Are they members of the Tea Party? I suggest you stick to the issues to draw a response and not tell posters how to direct their response. I would assume the blog administrator would delete those breaking any rules.
By the way Springfield is what it is, and will remain what it is. We lack a drawing card as well anything to keep young educated kids here. Yeah you can drive to Hanover or Keene to work but why? Cheaper housing here could be a reason for us to become a bedroom community, after all the whole town is for sale. So with that said I don't care if you're Bob Flint or Donald Trump you have nothing to sell a large company on. So find a way to get our young to comeback after college and invest their time and brains here and maybe we'll have a chance, but I don't see that happening because once they see what's out there it's hard to comeback. I guess that is what Alumni Day is for.
As I understand it, and again could be wrong, the utility rates are not affected by the expenditures elsewhere. Yes, the overall cost of living is impacted by taking into consideration both the utility rates and the tax rate, but depriving the fire department of needed equipment has an out of pocket cost as well, namely increased insurance rates, etc. I would agree with you that we could stand to quit paying for a little less officer time spent manning radar guns, but I would tend to put them out on real patrol instead. Am not satisfied with the "Springfield is what it is", mentality and I don't own a TV so I don't watch MSNBC.
DeleteAethelred, I'm not saying I am satisfied with Springfield being as I stated "it is what it is" nor should it be a mentality. But before change comes we better look at where we are not where we were. And where we are is in a stalemate, as is many small towns in this Country. The town needs to check itself and spend for only what is needed not on what is wanted.
ReplyDeleteNot following your comment about less Police time on the radar gun, where was that comment made? In fact I have no problem with that, I look for the radar gun when those white plates go by me doing 20 mph over the limit.
The Fire Department has plenty of equipment. Claremont, which has much more going on then Springfield currently, has a fire station on the main route to its shopping district, take a peak at all the "equipment" they have. How do they protect that town with so little "equipment"? Insurance must be very high there. Does it take a certain number of fire trucks or men to put out a fire?
The real problem here is that this is a town heading towards, or could be currently in dispair. Our primary employers are the School System, Hospital and ironically the Town of Springfield. Where are the tax dollars to come from to keep things afloat when things like this water upgrade is needed? The taxpayers that basically pay to keep their own jobs? Thus the town needs to be a better steward with all monies, thinking of the unseen future problems to come. And there are red flags all over the place of upcomming problems. i.e. Do you drive a car?
People have a right to ask "What the heck is going on here?", it's their money. We need water and sewage or we become the Bundy's. So I don't think anyone is upset about the upgrades, the points I see being made here are how can we throw money around and then say "Oh, by the way we now need to pay for this so we'll just add that to your taxes. Thanks".
When I was in college (way back when) we were taught to question authority. Looks to me people are doing that here. Hopefully you do not have a problem with that, is that not the liberal way?
In response to the claremont fire analogy. Claremont.has less square miles to cover. They have at least double the men on duty and don't run an ambulance service..nfpa recommends a minimum of 4 responding personnel on an engine and 6 on a tower response. The Springfield fire department responds with 2. We can no longer go charging into. Vacant burning building without having an additional 2 firefighters on site for back up. Thus causes a delay in fire attack. Better learn more about the laws and regulations and your fire department before acting like you know something.
DeleteObviously questioning authority here has angered some. I wonder why? Maybe the time for reason has arrived in Springfield and it won't be squelched by the two posting madly who are obvious defenders of the madness that Springfield lives in?
DeleteAnonymous 5pm, I'm thinking you have something to do with the Fire Department by that response. I believe that if you could read and understand at the same time I was answering Aethelred point of "depriving the fire department of needed equipment". We were not debating regulations. With that said how many trucks do you need to do your job? Is it based on square miles, like you need to have so many trucks per mile? Or is it based on you having a good job with good benifits and do not want to give that up? I can go on nailing your own statements but I will not, there is no point to it.
DeleteSee the problem with a personal attack, which many like to make on this site is some dogs bite back. To say someone is "acting like you now something" is not needed. All you have to do is explain. Instead everyone is stupid because they do not know the fire codes or regulations. Well nobody was pretending too. We pay our taxes and expect you to do your job when the time comes.
Follow the thread. The points here are about money that some feel was poorly spent with no concern for the future. It is fair to compare and question why. I'm not upset with the Fire Department, I'm tired of wasted dollars that have to be recollected to pay for what is needed, there seems to be a trend in this town. And if you live in this town you should have the same concerns.
Just remember town employees are not exempt from paying taxes and everyone feels the burden. As for equipment if I was a firefighter. I would prefer equipment that was safe and reliable
DeleteIf people pay attention. The town has 2 or 3 less rolling stock in the fire department then 30 years ago. .
DeleteI thought the alumni parade seemed a little light this year than it did 30 years ago.
DeleteThe Town spending for only what is needed, not what is wanted. Interestingly simple...now if everyone could agree on what is needed we would be all set. I have yet to see a community take off economically that was only willing to spend the bare minimum on it maintenance. The logic always escaped me as to how progress is achieved by paying barely what is needed to maintain the status quo. But there must be some logic to it since there seem to be so many espousing it.
DeleteAnonymous 9:19. I believe the fd is looking for volunteers if you care to put your money where your mouth is. Maybe you don't have the nerve or stomach to be a firefighter. Maybe anonymous Blogger is more suited for your expertise.
Delete@ anonymous 9:40. whoooaaaaaa tough guy.
DeleteAww I knew you didn't have it in you. Go back to your couch and keyboard
DeleteAethelred (or shall I say King) it is that simple believe it or not. A business survives by generating income while keeping control of its expenses. The town can only increase it's income by raising more taxes (although the speeding tickets help) or growing its grand list, it has nothing to sell. For this reason when things are tough who pays the bills? That's right it is you and I. On the other hand throwing more money at things does not fix them. If I was a business owner looking to relocate today I would be considering my chances of success in the area. Can I get the labor I need for my business? Will cost of doing business be within my budget? Is the State or Town business friendly if I need to expand? Can I service my customers from this location? There are others questions but few place the Police and Fire Departments in the top tier of questions, those things are expected of an area. This is no disrespect to our departments, it really has nothing to do with them.
ReplyDeleteSo when I investigate a possible location and see citizens complaining about wasted resources, a steady stream of infrastructure breakdowns, a history of business leaving and the taxpayers on the hook for these repairs chances are that location is not high on my list. I want my business to add to a community not become a lifeline.
You are going to say that is why we need to throw more money at things (I've talked to liberals before). Well where does that money come from? I don't care if its Federal Grants or "Boatloads of free money" it still comes from you and I. So all I'm saying here is that those tax dollars need to be handled with more concern and thought. Don't give me a tax break for moving my business here, make sure my employees can get to work and live, my supplies can be delivered and my goods can get to market. That is done with infrastructure.
Now to those who find need to defend their jobs. In my 2:22 post yesterday I wrote "Where are the tax dollars to come from to keep things afloat when things like this water upgrade is needed? The taxpayers that basically pay to keep their own jobs?" Simply put, the town employees are not exempt from taxes and share in the burden. Is that clear now.
Also, replacing equipment and buying new equipment are two different things. I too would want the best and safest if I was a fire or police servant. They are right to ask for more, but it is the towns leaders that need to draw the line and say "no", tell us what you need not what you want.
I'm sure with modern updated equipment those two less "rolling stock" (I guess we are getting to learn some fireman jingle here) are not missed.
Aethelred our liberal king managed change the subject here by writing "depriving the fire department of needed equipment has an out of pocket cost as well, namely increased insurance rates, etc." a comment that I chose to question by comparing another local community. How did this turn into an attack on the Fire Department? Now tell me, why are we struggling as a community?
Please stop posting here. You are making way too much sense and making a fool out the King. It is making our heads hurt from the laughter.
DeleteHarry, you make some interesting points. But, i do have a question, why does the town budget pass with flying colors every single year?
Delete11:15 AM, I return the question rewritten as such. Why does the budget pass with flying colors every single year while the school budget fails by narrow margins? My opinion, let me be clear MY OPINION is age of voters. The senior citizens of this community are not going to give up town services such as a ambulance and fire protection, they want to know the police are going to be there if called. Yet when they go to the line article to vote for the school budget, well no benifit to them there only expense so a no vote is casted.
ReplyDeleteWhat they don't realize is that voting no on the town budget will not end the police or fire services. Yeah the town managers like to tell us it will but they no better to make cuts into those services. To be fair, I would be no different at their age. They grew up working in the shops, had a great life here with good town services and do not want that to go away in their lifetime. While do you think members of the school board spend time recuiting 18 year old students to vote?
Second point, seems like we get a lot of bonds, doesn't it? Are bonds are in the budget? Need road repair, get a bond. Let's up grade the water, get a bond. Need school repairs, get a bond. Bonds are like credit cards in a college kids hand, exciting when you get one, not so great when you didn't have a plan for paying them back.
The same goes for much of the special interest that gets voted in. Everything seems to pass without much consideration of what it will add to the tax bill. I've thought about starting a special interest group just to get on the ballot for that free money.
Now I'm not saying the budget should or shouldn't be voted down or up. I do think more questions should be asked and those that have to anwser those question should not take them personal.
Again, we need our young to comeback and take part in the future of Springfield. Then as we grow older we can make their life miserable! Said in sarcasm of course.
Am going to take a lot of flak for this, but actually part of the tax problem with the school is they try to pay for large long life capital projects via the budget which does not make sense. But since the impact of paying for large long life capital projects via the budget is extremely painful, they tend to put it off and not do the maintenance until they have an emergency. It makes no sense to be hitting current taxpayers upfront with projects that have 20 to 30 year lifespans, private industry would not do that, but we do...until we wind up having to basically build whole new schools which we then do on bond issues. But it would help if our State legislators would get on the stick and get the State to make their reimbursements on a timely basis so that our bond payments on Union and Elm are not so high. Other systems with projects completed after ours were completed have received their reimbursements, but not us -- it would be a very good question to ask Alice and Cynthia rather than some of the generalized rantings that occur on this blog.
DeleteI have also wondered why the town budget always seems to get voted in without question. I think the age of voters may have something to do with it. I also think people are apprehensive about asking questions about the police, fire, or other town departments because they think if the employees see them as being against them they won't get as quick a response if they have a fire or other emergency. The services in Springfield were built up during the good years by the shops who paid inventory taxes as well as other taxes. That's great, but you can't continue to fund at the same levels when you're now only relying on property tax payers. The fire station we have was, and maybe still is referred to as Puggy's Palace by other fire department members in towns as far away as White River. It is larger proportionally to other towns departments with the same population. I believe the same is true of the police department. One thing that needs to be looked at and questioned are the labor contracts for these town employees. This may be where a lot of costs are incurred. Something needs to be done to lower the tax rate. It is making it difficult and in some cases impossible for people to stay in their homes. I know people who are thinking about relocating to Springfield, and a huge turn off is the property taxes. The tax rate is a big reason why people jumped on the bandwagon for the prison, and now for the biomass plant. The prison has not lowered taxes, it has brought nothing but trouble. Anyone who does their research on biomass emissions will also see that this is an awful proposition for the town, and it won't lower the tax rate.
DeleteWith respect to the prison, I don't remember any argument that it was going to lower the tax rate. I do remember two promises which the State has not kept: 1) that they would hire locally (wrong the prison is run by a private corporation that brought in guards from away, some would say the prison guard families are worse than the prisoners families), and 2) that they would not release prisoners who were residents of somewhere else into Springfield when they were paroled or had completed their sentences -- despite the Town Managers assurance that they were keeping this promise, what the strong rumor is, is they release them to rehabilitation centers elsewhere in the State and the rehabilitation centers release them to their current homes which if the family moved to be closer to the prison means Springfield. Although, I don't know as Ascutney has complained about them using the motel over there as a half-way house.
DeleteI don't know why you would take flak expressing an opinion. It's okay to disagree without name calling. I would like to see others get creative with blog names maybe we then can follow ones train of thought. Anonymous is to easy and a bit lazy, its okay to create a pseudonym (look that up if you have too). Come on folks make a effort!
ReplyDeleteLet me know when Alice and Cynthia get back to you on that. I don't think I would take a bond out based on the State reimbursement, any State let alone Vermont. Education is important to everyone running for office, just not as important when it comes to writing checks for it.
Probably the most used buildings in our community are the schools (except for maybe the public assistance state office). So how do you not plan ahead for long range upkeep when you know those buildings are getting abused everyday through normal use. Because you can always get a bond! Public Schools will never go out of business and there will always be enough yes votes to pass a bond warrant. So even if money is set aside in the guideline (my word for budget) it often gets spent somewhere else. You do know they don't have to spend the money the way it is budgeted, right?
Alpine, it comes down to this. Bonds are okay, but must be part of the overall program. If we can pay for it locally without help from the State then go for it. Then any help that comes is only bonus and makes it easier on the taxpayers. Instead we build it and then wonder where the money is. Funny but those bond holders wonder the same thing, difference is that they will get their money.
Point is Harry they are paying cash via the budget for replacing heating systems and boilers which have 20 and 30 year life spans, that balloons the cost in one year instead of spreading it out over the cost of the improvement. That doesn't make sense, but that is what is happening because of all the negative noise about bond issues.
DeleteAlpin, I did miss your point and understand it now. So maybe instead of having former educators and public servants on the school board maybe we need a few top notch life insurance salesmen, if they cannot sell a program then nobody can!
DeleteWhat if, now take time to think about this, what if after a bond is taken out the school worked on lowering budgets to help pay for that bond. You wouldn't need much since it would be spread out over many years. Don't ask me what can be cut because I don't know, we are told that the budget is bare bones now. (Get ready for the cut teachers post.) There has to be a give and take from both side. Give us the bond for the heaters and we'll take a few things out of the budget that we know is waste. Or maybe we would re-budget fuel based on the savings to be had instead of taking that money and using it somewhere else. Some places it is called honesty. Not saying, just saying.
In a business, as I have mention before, there are people that work on creating income and a few that work on cutting expenses. We need someone looking at those expenses and then enforcing those cuts.
Towns, schools and States need to start getting creative to maximize the tax dollars they have to work with. They can not just keep saying give us more when there is less and less out there.
The point is that using the bonds is in itself a tax reduction rather than doing these massive budget busting improvements when a boiler goes caput, you could amortize the cost of the boiler over its effective life. That would be fairer to the current taxpayers who may not live here or even be alive during a considerable portion of the boiler's expected life. It would also make more sense than waiting until the bleachers at Riverside collapse at some public event, to include them in a bond issue and get them fixed now. Except there has been some concern about whether Riverside is even bondable given the peculiarities of its title. They really should scrap Riverside and move the Middle School to Park Street its a much better building.
DeleteThe state hasn't been funding school districts for over five years for construction projects. Unlike NH (30%) or NY (55%) Vermont has left school districts to fend for themselves.
DeleteI got Springfields school construction needs plan at a board meeting in december and it runs out for about 20 years. Has anybody read it?
I read the plan years ago. The problem with the construction needs plan is that when budgets get defeated, which is not particularly uncommon in Springfield, the board is forced to choose between cutting programs for the kids or cutting capital expenditures. It doesn't take a huge intellect to figure out which is likely to get cut. The result is that every year around budget time the Board hauls out the plan, and then after getting bludgeoned a bit by first the budget advisory committee and guided by trying desperately to level fund everything while dealing with skyrocketing health care costs and the fact the State has failed to timely reimburse, they give a deep sigh pick a couple "must do projects" from the list of deferred projects and put the plan away for another year. What ultimately happens is that the buildings take the matter into their own hands by giving up the ghost in the form of boilers going caput, roofs start behaving like sieves, bleachers or playground flunk inspections, and then the board has to bust the budget to fix what needs to be fixed or else the building get condemned. So in reality the de facto building plan is actually J. Fitzpatrick running around putting duct tape on leaks and sticking his fingers in the dike.
DeleteAlpin, here's where you catch some flak. One, we are off subject of this thread and I'm not that interested in getting caught up in the monster we call a school system. Two, correct me if I'm not getting your drift but I don't see a bond as a tax reduction but rather an added cost. Either way it must be paid back. Yes it's over a time period and it would relect as less on paper but it doesn't lessen the cost. How many bonds should we have out at a time? One now, one five years from now, then another in ten years? Repairs and replacements happen. We have at least five buildings to maintain and each in need of repair.
ReplyDeleteFind a way to cut some cost and then get the bond and I'm all for it. When I wanted to pay off my credit cards we decide to lower our Comcast bill, we didn't drop it we just cut some services. We picked up 50 bucks a month, that's 600 per year that was applied while not increasing our cost or changing our style of living. To add bonds while increasing the budget doesn't work for me (you fail to give a clear opinion on this) as long as the grand list is not growing. As a taxpayer if you show me that efforts are being made to balance the bond cost you'll get my support and vote. This goes for the town as well. The subject here is reducing cost not expanding them.
I stress give and take, it cannot be take and take. Still with that being said thus far you have been the best debater and at least make some sense. Please don't tell me your alter ego is Aethelred!
I don't know anything about the Riverside subject but you have my attention. I do know about the bleachers we had the money for a few years ago and voted no on, which made no sense at all. I am not aware of any other issues.
By the way, I have no children in the school system nor will I. Personaly I think the public school system is a mess, not because of teachers but because of politicians and administrators playing politics. To me the system is a White Elephant that sucks a lot of money out of the community without being accountable for results. We have a system where it is too easy to make excuses for failure while cashing taxpayers checks. We must educate our children, all of them.
Anonymous 2:27. I think you're barking up a tree there that my dog would not even lift a leg on. If something like lack of response was to happen and you can prove it, I would say lawsuit. (Which of course I would have to help pay for as well as those town employees that are not exempt from taxes.)
ReplyDeleteI don't know how much you get around but White River Junction is not very far away. In fact many Springfield folks drive there regularly for there court dates. I'm not sure if Puggy's Palace is a praise or a knock, I'll wait for the firemen to chime in, they read this blog you know.
I will agree with you on labor contracts. Times have changed and terms need to be reviewed and adjusted like it or not. Just think if you are a tax paying town employee, you could be saving yourself money!
I agree with Alpin on the prison issue, well said. The Bio-Mass, I just don't know. It's tough to say yes but tough to say no. These guys have adjusted their busines plan so much I'm not sure there is a plan. I do know this, taxes and rates never go down. Once our leaders get their grubby hands on our money they will find ways to spend it. New business like the bio-mass may slow down the increase of taxes and rates, but they will not go down without watch dogs in the community questioning authority.
Harry and Alpin, I have enjoyed reading your dialogue over the last few days. Civil, informative, and while I tend to side with Alpin on most subjects Harry raises some really interesting points.
DeleteThanks for bringing some decent debate to this blog.
And thanks for being a shill for Alpin and the failed town amanagement.
DeleteAnonymous 10:17, you miss my point about being creative with a name eh. I'll give you one, Whiner. By the way you are not alone this town is full of them.
DeleteAlpin is a liberal as far as I can tell by his writings, we are miles apart. If you cannot tell am a conservative by nature with independent leanings. But this does not mean a fair debate cannot be held and both sides have a similiar view on some issues. If your shill remark has to do with me agreeing on the way Alpin explained the prison issue, get over it. He hit it right on the head with facts not liberal BS. Facts are not debatable. In addition I cover my ears when projects are sold via the lower taxes sales pitch, not going to happen, never has and never will.
Other than that we agree on little. He wants bonds and growing budgets, supports the bio-mas project and seems to support current town leadership. And without question if fine with throwing more money at our problems. I want balance and budgets that get real, having a very hard time to find reason or why the bio-mass should go forward and have not even begun to (as Alpin says) rant about town leadership. And I can proudly say was a no vote for the prison. That place is a proven mistake. That pool cost the town more than it's worth.
Do you even know a shill is? Just because someone doesn't see eye to eye with you doesn't make them a shill. If you think I'm writing to get you to see and agree with Alpin's point of view then you are not reading what I'm writing.
If you have a problem with town management then do something about it. Rant if you have too, organize if you must or write reasons and solutions on this blog. I don't care how you make a point. I may even agree with some. But don't count on others to carry your water, convince people you have a point and they may follow you and grow a spine.
My response to 2:22 was a hands off one. A lot of opinion (and some rock throwing) was expressed there, very little of which I cared to expand upon. The comments made could be true or meant just to stir trouble. People don't listen when you're looking for trouble.
I'm taking today off from writing. Need to go to Claremont and shop in those big air conditioned stores they have. Wink, wink.
You know the problem with all of the Anonymous posts is you have to refer to them by the time they posted, then you have to waste time looking back at all the times to see what was said in that particular time. It would be nice if people would create pseudonyms so that intelligent conversations could occur and the trolls could figure out whose comment you are referring to. I also think Alpin is a liberal, and I agree with him on most issues. With regards to the prison issue, I think Alpin is being kind of a whiner -- the prison is here, no it wasn't sold on its ability to reduce taxes, it was sold on we will give you money for other projects and we will create employment. Since it is here, we need to spend time thinking how its liabilities: 1) urban families of prison guards who brought gangs to town, and 2) the release of stimatized humans who the system has made it difficult if not impossible to get back on their feet into our community; can be turned into positives. With a little bit of focus, and a lot less whining, I think that might be possible. In many areas, prisons do provide good stable employment--so here we need to figure out why this particular prison went off the rails. I suspect it is due to privatization, but that is just a guess -- prisons for profit have not been a winner for America.
DeleteJust to clarify, the majority of officers and medical staff are residents of Springfield. It is not owned by a private corporation. Officers employed there are STATE employees.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I don't think anyone said it was privately owned it is RUN by a private management company.
ReplyDeleteSpringfield will be its own demise. You have another water increase outside this current one. You have a failing school system, which now will be asking for a bond (upon the recommendation of the Park Street committee) to refurbish the old building in excess of 3 million dollars. We never did see the cost of tearing the building down and building a cost effective, energy efficient building in its place. Which means taxes will increase AGAIN significantly.
In Friday's cover story of the Eagle Times a new study was released that Windsor County was unaffordable due to housing costs. What more do you people want to do totap out your current residents. Within 10 years the place will be a ghost town so enjoy the fruits of your labor.